Recommendation:
Denounce Hateful Marginalization
Universities must reaffirm their opposition to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to sever ties to the land of Israel by boycotting Israeli universities, study abroad programs, and research collaborations. Institution leadership should state their commitment to the free exchange of ideas and access to academic opportunities while clearly identifying BDS as antithetical to campus values. There are well-established links between BDS advocacy and rising antisemitism on university campuses across the world, including in Canada. The Canadian government has stated that the goals of BDS contravene Canadian values and would be considered antisemitic under the adopted definition of hatred of Jews. Therefore, allowing BDS initiatives to propagate within Canadian academic institutions will likely incite hatred, engender division, and lead to an increase in antisemitic actions against Jewish or pro-Israeli campus community members.